Decorating holiday cookies is definitely something kids love to do, but when you do it with Steelers' safety Minkah Fitzpatrick it takes it to a completely different level.
A group of kids through UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Family Connection Center had the opportunity to do just that when Fitzpatrick visited them and their families this week.
Fitzpatrick wanted to do something special and fun, for the kids and their families at the holidays and it of course started with the cookies.
"I haven't done it in years," said Fitzpatrick of decorating cookies. "I am excited."
While the cookies were definitely a highlight, it was about a lot more too. Fitzpatrick worked with Giant Eagle to provide gift cards and groceries to the families, giving them something that is a strong need this time of year as they celebrate the holidays together. And he also brought Steelers' teddy bears with him, which brought smiles all around.
"Just spending time with people that you don't know and having fun and sharing the Christmas spirit is really important," said Fitzpatrick. "Being able to spend time with people, I think that's the most valuable thing that we have."
The Family Connection Center works with kids and families to provide multiple services with the goal to help children achieve brighter futures. With the combination of Fitzpatrick and Giant Eagle, the center was able to provide fun for the kids who ranged from 3-5 years old, and also provide much needed benefits at the same time as many families deal with food insecurity.
"We thought how special would it be that Minkah came to do a special event with these little kiddos and really made the holiday special this year, particularly since we didn't get to do anything special last year like this because of COVID," said Jodie Krall, a member of UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's Community Health Division.
The center was awash in the holiday spirit, and it was just what was needed for everyone.
"For the kids, this is something that they always love," said Charlotte Byrd, the Senior Manager for UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Family Care Connection program. "And for the parents, this is something that they can do and enjoy as well. It's almost like, and I hate to say this, but it's almost like something a little normal, a new normal for our kids so that they can actually see the football player and experience him being here face-to-face and of course being done with the regular COVID-19 protocols that we already follow at our sites."
"time" - Google News
December 24, 2021 at 08:30PM
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A time to give back - Steelers.com
"time" - Google News
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